Ice block forming and dispensing device



Jan. 2, 194(1). R. A. BAYNE ICE BLOCK FORMING AND DISPENSING DEVICE Filed Jan. 17, 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet l Fig.9.

INVENTOR Eichard Q. B a y me B m j I 1 09 TTORNEY.5

Jam 2, W40. R. A. BAYNE ICE BLOCK FORMING AND DISPENSING DEVICE Filed Jan. 1'7, 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 5. M .w w Km a 1G Y. 0 I n .M BM

Patented Jan. 2, 1940- PATENT OFFICE iolantockronmc AND DISPENSING DEVICE Richard A. Bayne, Detroit, Mich. Application January 17, 1938, Serial o. 185,271

. 13 Claims. This invention relates to anice block forming and dispensing device.

At present most mechanical refrigerators, particularly those designed for domestic use, are each equipped with ice trays and a, sharp freezingchamber for receiving the trays. The trays commonly used are made from either metal or rubber and are provided with dividers which, when the tray is filled with water and inserted in the sharp freezing chamber, divide the water as it is frozen into blocks of ice, commonly referred to as ice cubes. Both types of trays are disadvantageous to. use because each must be. re-

moved from the sharp freezing chamber beforeone or more ice blocks can be removed from the same. To remove the ice blocks from the metal tray, it isusually necessary to run hot or cold water over the tray to dislodge the ice blocks. This dislodges all of the ice blocks from the tray. The ice blocks and dividers can only be reinserted in the tray with difliculty. .Usually with a metal tray, if only one or two ice'blocks are wanted,

the remainder are thrown away and the tray again filled with water and reinserted in the sharp freezing 'chamber. The rubber 'tray' has I another disadvantage in that rubber is a poorer heat conductor than metal which makes the rubber tray less efiicient in freezing water.

It is an object of this invention to produce an ice block forming and dispensing device which obviates the disadvantages of the ice trays above described, which efliciently freezes water into ice blocks, which dispenses the ice blocksone by one without wasting the remainingice blocks in the tray and without requiring forming and-dispensing device which is of simple construction and easy to operate in the dispensing of the ice blocks one by one as well as in the refilling of the tray.-

. It is :also an obje'ct'of this invention to produce an ice block forming and dispensing device which dispenses ice blocks one by one and which readily lends itself to the formingof ice blocks of difierent' sizes.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the sharp freezing chamber'of'a. mechanical refrigerator showing the ice block forming and dispensing device;

removal of the tray' from the sharp freezing chamber.

This invention also contemplates an iceblock,

Figs. 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7 are sections along the lines 3-3, 4-4, 5-5, E-6 and of Fig. 2.

Fig. 8 is a section along the line 8-8 of Fig. 6. Fig. 9 is a detail illustrating the flexing of the divider plates during the loosening of the ice 6 block from the tray.

Referring more particularly to the drawings there is shown a refrigerator cabinet I having the usual freezing unit 2 provided with a chamher 3 adapted to receive the ice forming trays. 10 The specific design of the sharp freezing unit 2 is not material andcan be of any of the wellknown types. The important thing is that the sharp freezing unit, or the cooling unit, should be of any suitable design so that the temperature within the chamber 3 will be sufliciently low to freeze the water in the tray. It is, of course, understood that the ice block forming and-dispensing device, which is the subject of this invention, although particularly adapted for use in the sharp freezing chamber of a refrigerator, can also be used for forming ice blocks under conditions of natural refrigeration.

The device comprises a tray 4 preferably of metal. As herein shown the tray 4 comprises a stamped metal member which, by way of illustration, has three parallel wells 5 having aflixed thereto an end closure 1. The number of wells 5 can be varied and some of the wells made larger than others for forming ice blocks of different sizes. Since each of the wells 5 and the associated mechanism for forming and dispensing the ice blocks are the same, a description of one will suiiice for all.

The front end of each well 5 is closed by a. removable closure 8. Any suitable seal, such as the rubber facing 9, is provided on the inner face of the front end closure'8 for obtaining-a fixed to the outside walls of the tray 4 as at l5.

provided for A removable crank' handle I6 is turning the screws II. V

Each well is provided with a plurality of divider plates I! which divide the ice formed within the well 5 into individual blocks or cubes. The

' divider plates I! are provided with openings I8 35 through which the screw passes. The openings l8 are preferably circular and have a greater diameter than the outside diameter of the screw well. Any suitable means can be provided for spacing the divider plates II when in ice block forming position. Preferably, however, the side walls l9 are pressed inwardly at spaced points to form cooperating pairs of teats 20. For posi- I tioning each plate each side wall l9 preferably is provided with two pairs of teats 20, one pair above the other and in alignment with each other. The pairs of teats on the one wall are preferably directly across from the teats on the other wall, as shown in Figs. 6 and 9. The divider plates H are flexible and preferably formed from thin sheet metal.

For breaking the ice blocks free from the side and bottom wallg of the well and for ejecting the same, there is provided an ejector in the form of a plate, 2| threaded on the screw The countour of each divider plate l1 and the ejector plate 2| corresponds to the inside contour of the well 5 so that they can travel back and forth within the well 5.

The end closure 8 as Well as the ejector plate 2| are prevented from rotating about the screw II by means of a rod 22 one end of which is fixed as at 23 to the bearing support plate l3 and the other end of which is fixed as at 24 in the rear closure wall I. A tubular sleeve 25 is mounted over the rod 22 in sliding relation therewith. The sleeve 25 and the rod 22 pass loosely through openings 26 in the plates l1 so that the plates I! are free to move along the tube 25. The openings 28 have a slightly larger diameter than the outside diameter of the tube 25. The forward end of the tube 25 is fixed to the front closure plate 8 so that the tube travels with the plate 8.

The ejector plate 2| has a freely slidable fit on the tube 25. The rear end of the tube is provided with a shoulder 21 for purposes described below.

The operation of the device is as follows: The tray 4 is filled with water to any .level desired. The filling of the tray can be accomplished in any desired manner. Since the tray 4 and the ice block dispensing mechanism are an independent unit freely removable from the freezing compartment 3, the traycan be filled either while in the compartment or preferably removedand filled at any convenient water faucet. The divider plates H are now positioned in spaced relation, as shown. in Fig. 3. The spacings between the dividers II will be determined by the longitudinal distance between the pairs of teats 20. Each divider, of course, will be positioned between the teats 20, as indicated in Fig. 8, so that it is held in upright, and preferably vertical, position. At this time the ejector plate 2| will be positioned against the back closure 1 and the front closure 8 will be threaded on the screw II and screwed tightly against, and in liquid-tight sealing relation with, the front end of the well 5. Also, as shown. in Fig. 5, the shoulder 21 of the tube 25 will be in contact with the ejector 2|.

After the water has frozen and the ice blocks formed, the ice blocks can be dispensed individually from any well 5 desired as follows: With the position of the various several parts, as shown in Fig. 3, the crank handle I5 is turned to rotate thescrew II. This causes the nut l0, front closure plate 8; and the ejector plate 2! to travel smooth portion 29,

' ejected, the crank ejector 2| forwardly or to the right as viewed in Fig. 3. During the initial forward movement of the ejector plate 2|, loose from the side and bottom walls of -the well 5 and move the divider plates I'I with them. At the same time t e divider plates are'flexed, as indicated in Fig. 9. Since the teats hold the divider plates I! in position, the plates cannot move forwardly or to the right, as viewed in Fig. 3, and accompany the forwardly moving ice without being freed from the teats 29. The forward or rightward movement of the divider plates l1 cooperate with the teats 20 to bend or flex. the

plates H, as indicated in- Fig. 9. This breaks the 1 adherence between the ice blocks and the plates l1 and frees the plates from the blocks as well as from the respective pairs of teats 20 which normally hold them in place. Thereafter the plates I! are flexedin their forward travel each timb they pass over the cooperating pairs of teats 20.

Upon continued turning nut Ill and front plate 8 of the crank IS the ride off the threaded the ice blocks 28 are broken portion of the screw II on to the unthreaded or v as indicated in Fig. 4, so that forward movement of the plate 8 and tube ceases. However, the forward movement of the ejector 2| continues. The threaded portion of the screwv ll extends sumciently forward of the front end of the well 5 to provide sufiicient space between the front plate 8 when carried by the smooth portion 29 of the worm II and the front end of the well 5 to permit the block 28 to drop downwardly in any suitable receptacle provided by the operator, such as the glass shown in Fig. 1.

Upon further turning of the crank Hi the ejector 2-l continues-its forward movement ejecting one ice block 28 after the other. Duringsuch further forward movement the tube 25 remains stationary but the ejector 2| rides forwardly along'the tube 25. As one ice block after the other is ejected, the divider plates l'! stack one against the other and against the closure 8 in released forward position, as indicated in Fi 4. The ice blocks as they are moved forwardly by the ejector 2|, of course, carry the plates I! with them and past successive cooperating pairs of teats 29. After all the ice blocks 28 have been I6 is turned in the reverse direction which causes the screw II to return the to its original position against the back wall 1. However, the length of the tube 25 is gauged so that before the plate 2| reaches the back wall! it abuts the shoulder 21 on the tube 25 and carries the plate 8 rearwardly into threaded engagement with screw II which upon further turning brings the plate 8' into sealing relation with the front end of the well 5. Preferably the plate 2| picks up the tube 25at a distance from the back wall I slightly less than the length of one ice block: The divider plates I! are again manually positioned along the well 5 their respective distances where they are againheld by the cooperating pairs of teats 20..

It will be noted that the ice blocks can be dispensed one by one from the tray 4 while it is within the'compartment 8, that is, there is no need to remove the tray 4 to permit dispensing of the ice blocks. As shown in Figs. 1, 3 and 4, the tray 4 is positioned fully within the compartment 3 of the cooling unit 2. Since the bearing member l3 projects somewhat beyond the opening in the compartment 3, the hinged door 6 is dle l8 when the door 6 is closed. The ice block trays indicated in Fig. 1, below tray 4 are the conventional trays. The compartment 3 is provided with a shelf 4! upon which the tray 4 rests during the ice forming as well as the ice dispensing operation. The tray 4 is provided with an angular extension 42 which, in the dispensing of the ice blocks, acts as a slide for directing the falling ice blocks outwardly and away from the cooling unit 2.

Another advantage of this ice block forming and dispensing device is that it can be readily removed for cleaning and very easily cleaned.

The openings I8 and 26 in the divider plates l'i should be sufilciently larger than the cross sectional areas respectively of the screw II and tube 25 so as to permit the divider plates I! to flex freely, as indicated in Fig. 9, during the dispensing movement of the ice blocks.

I claim:

1. A device for forming and dispensing ice blocks comprising a container adapted to receive a liquid to be frozen having an outlet, a plurality of dividing plates for dividing the container into a plurality of spaces to form individual'ice blocks, said dividing plates being shiftable within the said container toward said outlet, means cooperating with said plates as the plates are shifted to loosen the plates from the ice blocks, and ejecting means for loosening the ice blocks from the said container and ejecting the ice blocks and dividing plates through the said outlet to dispense the said ice blocks one by one.

2. A device for forming and dispensing ice blocks comprising in combination a container adapted to receive a liquid to be frozen having an outlet, a plurality of flexible plates shiftable within the said container for dividing the container into a row of spaces aligned with the said outlet to form a row of individual ice blocks, an ejector adapted to loosen the ice blocks and move the ice blocks and dividing plates through the said outlet, and means cooperating with the said ejector to flex the said dividing plates to loosen the same from the said ice blocks prepara tory to dispensing the ice blocks from the said container.

3. A device for forming and dispensing ice blocks comprising in combination a container adapted to receive a liquid to be frozen having an outlet, a plurality of flexible plates shiftable within the said container for dividing the container into a row of spaces aligned with the said outlet to form a row of individual ice blocks, an ejector adapted to loosen the ice blocks and move the ice blocks and dividing plates through the said outlet, and means engaging the edges of said flexible divider plates for removably holding the said plates in position whereby when the ejector moves the ice blocks the divider plates are flexed to loosen the plates from the ice blocks and the edges of the plates disengage the said means preparatory to dispensing the ice blocks from,the said container.

4. A device for forming and dispensing ice blocks comprising in combination a container adapted to receive a liquid to befrozen having an outlet, a, plurality of flexible platesshii'table within the said container for dividing the container into a row of spaces aligned with the said outlet to form a row of individual ice blocks, an ejector adapted to loosen the ice blocks and move the ice blocks and dividing plates through the said outlet, and socket means carried by, and spaced along, the side walls of the container for receiving the side edges of the said flexible divider plates to removably hold them in their respective positions whereby when the ejector is actuated to move the ice blocks the divider plates are moved relative to the socket means to flex the divider plates and disengage the same from the said socket means and to loosen the same from the said ice blocks.

5. A device for forming and dispensing ice blocks comprising in combination a container adapted to receive a liquid to be frozen having an outlet, a plurality of flexible plates shiftable within the said container for dividing the container into a row of spaces aligned with the said outlet to form a row of individual ice blocks, an ejector adapted to loosen the ice blocks and move the ice blocks and dividing plates through the said outlet, and a plurality of .pairs of teats carried by the side walls of the said container, the pairs of teats on the one side wall being opposite those on the other, the said pairs of teats cooperating with the side edges of the divider plates for holding the same removably in position whereby upon actuation of the ejector the movement of the ice blocks moves the divider plates relative to the said teats which flexes the divider plates to disengage the side edges from the teats and loosen the same from the ice blocks preparatory to dispensing the ice blocks through the outlet of the said container.

6. In combination acooling unit including a cooling compartment having an opening in one end, a unitary device for forming and dispensing ice blocks one by one comprising a freely removable container adapted to receive the liquid to be frozen into ice blocks, the said container being adapted for passage through the opening in the said cooling compartment to position the same within the compartment for freezing the said liquid, said container being freely removable from the said compartment through the end opening, the said container having an outlet in an end wall, a plurality of flexible plates shiftable within the container for dividing the container into a plurality of spaces to form individual ice blocks, an ejector carried by the container adapted to loosen the ice blocks and eject them through the said outlet in the container, and means carried by the said container operatable at all times upon formation ofthe ice blocks for actuating the ejector to eject the ice blocks one by one through the said outlet in the container.

7.'A device for forming and dispensing ice blocks comprising in. combination a container adapted to receive a liquid to be frozen, the said container having an outlet in its front end, a plurality of flexible plates for dividing the container into a row of spaces aligned with the said outlet to form a row of individual ice blocks, said plates being shiftable within the said container, an ejector adapted upon formation of said ice blocks to loosen the ice- ,blocks and. move the same and dividing plates forwardly through the' tainer into a row of spaces aligned with the said outlet to form a row of individual ice blocks, said plates being shiftable within the said container, an ejector adapted upon formation of said ice blocks to loosen the ice blocks and move the same and dividing plates forwardly through the said outlet, a removable closure for the said outlet, and a single means for simultaneously moving the ejector forwardly within the said container and for removing the closure from the front outlet whereby after formation of the ice blocks the ejector loosens the ice blocks and moves the same and the dividing plates forwardly through the said outlet to dispense the ice blocks individually.

9. A device for forming and dispensing ice blocks comprising in combination a container adapted to receive a liquid to be frozen, the said container having an outlet in its front end, a plurality of flexible plates for dividing the container into a row of spaces aligned with the said outlet to form a row of individual ice blocks, said plates being shiftable within the said container, an ejector adapted upon formation of said ice blocks to loosen the ice blocks and move the same and dividing plates forwardly through the said outlet, a removable closure for the said outlet, a single means for simultaneously moving the ejector forwardly within the said container and for removing the closure from the front outlet whereby after formation of the ice blocks the ejector loosens the ice blocks and moves the same and the dividing plates forwardly through the said outlet to dispense the ice blocks individually, and means cooperating with the said ejector upon formation of the ice blocks to flex the dividing plates to loosen thesame from the ice blocks preparatory to dispensing the ice blocks from the said container.

10. A device for forming and dispensing ice blocks comprising in combination a container adapted to receive a liquid to be frozen, the said container having an outlet in its front end, a plurality of flexible plates for dividing the container into a row of spaces aligned with the said outlet to form a row of individual ice blocks, said plates being shiftable within the said container, an ejector adapted upon formation of said ice blocks to loosen the ice blocks and move the same and dividing plates forwardly-through the said outlet, a removable closure for the said outlet, and a screw for simultaneously moving the ejector forward in the said container and removing the front closure from the said outlet whereby upon turning of the screw the ice blocks and divider plates are moved forwardly through the said outlet and the ice blocks dispensed individually.

11. A device for forming and dispensing ice blocks comprising in combination a container adapted to receive a liquid to be frozen, the said container having an outlet in its front end, a plurality of flexible plates for dividing the container into a row of spaces aligned with the said outlet to form a row of individual ice blocks, said plates being shiftable within the said container, an ejector adapted upon formation of said ice blocks to loosen the ice blocks and move the same and dividing plates forwardly through the said outlet, a removable closure for the said outlet, and a shaft extending lengthwise of the said container having a portion thereof projecting beyond the front end of the container, the said shaft having a threaded screw portion and an unthreaded portion, the screw portion having a threaded engagement with the said ejector and the front outlet closure, a crank for turning the said shaft whereby the ejector is moved forwardly in the container and the front closure is removed from the said outlet until the closure reaches the unthreaded portion of the screw whereupon further turning of the screw carries the ejector plate forwardly in the container to dispense the ice blocks through the said openings one by one.

12. A device for forming and dispensing ice blocks one by one comprising a container adapted to receive a liquid to be frozen having an outlet, partitionlng means shiftable relatively along the said container toward said outlet for dividing the container into a row of spaces aligned with said outlet to form a row of individual ice blocks, and ejecting means cooperating with said container and partitioning means to loosen all said ice blocks from the container and partitioning means and move all the ice blocks in a body and said partitioning means along the container toward and through the said outlet to dispense the ice blocks one by one.

13. In combination with a cooling unit including a freezing compartment, a unitary device for forming and dispensing ice blocks one by one positioned in said sharp freezing compartment and freely removable as a unit therefrom, said unitary device including a container for the liquid to be frozen provided with a plurality of partitions for dividing the container into a plurality of spaces to form individual ice blocks, and ejecting means carried by said container for loosening the ice blocks from the container and partitions and ejecting them one by one from said container while the unitary device is positioned within said freezing compartment.

RICHARD A. BAYNE. 

